RATIONALE: Beclomethasone may be effective in treating patients who have graft-versus-host disease of the gastrointestinal tract.

PURPOSE: Compassionate use of beclomethasone in treating patients who have graft-versus-host disease of the gastrointestinal tract that has not responded to previous therapy.

OBJECTIVES:

• Provide beclomethasone dipropionate to patients with gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease refractory to standard therapy or with a contraindication to systemic steroids.
• Minimize the serious side effects associated with systemic steroid use in these patients.

OUTLINE: Patients receive oral beclomethasone dipropionate 4 times daily for 28 days in the absence of graft-versus-host disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients may then receive a second course for 31 days if symptoms of graft-versus-host disease persist. Patients may receive up to 4 treatments (1 or 2 courses each) per year.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 24-45 patients will be accrued for this study within 3 years.

Ages Eligible for Study:  4 Years   -   70 Years,  Genders Eligible for Study:  Both

Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Clinically or pathologically confirmed graft-versus-host disease of the gastrointestinal tract
• Failed standard therapy with or has a contraindication to systemic immunosuppressive agents
• No clinically significant intestinal infection (confirmed by stool culture)
• No persistent vomiting of all oral intake
• Not a candidate for approved beclomethasone dipropionate Enteron Pharmaceuticals protocol

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age

• 4 to 70

Performance status

• Not specified

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• Not specified

Hepatic

• Not specified

Renal

• Not specified

Other

• Able to swallow medication

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy

• Not specified

Chemotherapy

• Not specified

Endocrine therapy

• See Disease Characteristics

Radiotherapy

• Not specified

Surgery

• Not specified